Revelations
by Hollie47
Summary: After Hermione's mother is killed by Death Eaters, she finds an old diary left by her and is shocked to find out that her father isn't who he appears to be; it's one of her teachers. Please read and review. Set during the second year.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione sat in an armchair and watched as the clock hands ticked. She could hear the rain shower down heavily outside as she lost track of time as she was swallowed up by her never-ending thoughts.

"_What's that in the sky?" Mr. Granger asked his daughter, looking up at the strange occurrence, as they drove towards their home after leaving the train station. _

"_Oh my God, Dad, it's the dark mark, I read about it once. Oh my God, this... this... can't be tr... true," Hermione said, choking the last words out as tears overcame the second year Hogwarts student. _

"_The what? This has something to do with your stupid new school, doesn't it?" Mr. Granger angrily asked, glaring at Hermione as he sped up and around the corner._

_Pulling up outside of the house, they both got out and ran to the front door. Hermione breathed in sharply, feeling a stabbing pain tear right through her as she saw four Aurors standing in her living room. _

"_What... what happened?" she asked, her voice unsteady as she tried to fight back the tears._

"_Mr. Granger, Miss. Granger," a man in a dark cloak said, looking at the two apologetically. "I'm from the Ministry of Magic and I'm so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this," he said, leading them into the kitchen of their own home. _

_Sitting around the table, the man spoke once more in a grim tone, "The Ministry was alerted to a death eater attack shortly before the Hogwarts Express pulled in, I'm sorry, but they killed her and..."_

"_... No," Hermione shrieked, feeling the sobs wrack through her small body. She could feel the pain physically as it left her aching all over while trying to gasp for air as her head pounded, almost as though she was going to pass out. _

"I see you did absolutely nothing today," her father sneered at her as he got home from work, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I cleaned the kitchen as you asked," Hermione replied, facing the man. Ever since her mother was taken from her, her father had turned into a whole different person and it scared her.

The small brunette watched as her father entered the kitchen and held her breath.

"This is not clean!" Her father bellowed as she winced.

She watched as he stormed into the lounge room, grabbed her by her upper arm and dragged her into the kitchen. She felt the pain from his grip but remained silent. She didn't want to anger him anymore.

"There are two cups in the sink not cleaned and the bench is not wiped down. If your mother was here she would have this place spotless," Mr. Granger angrily said, glaring at the child.

"Mum's not here anymore though," she softly said, feeling a wave of sadness wash over her. It had been two weeks since her mother was killed and to her it felt as though it was like yesterday.

"And whose fault is that, Hermione?"

"It's the death eater's fault," she replied, feeling the tears burn behind her eyes as she knew what was coming.

"No, it's yours! You stupid little witch, if it weren't because of you, she would still be here today," he yelled once more, storming off.

The tears spilt down the young girl's face as she ran to her bedroom. Throwing herself down onto her bed she let the sobs take over. Her heart ached and every time she thought of her mother, the pain was almost unbearable. She wanted to be able to see her once more, to hold her, give her a kiss on the cheek, tell her she loved her and now she couldn't.

Her father's actions also hurt her, blaming her for her mother's death, being cold, constantly yelling at her and grabbing her. He was always at arms distance with her and she couldn't figure out why, he was her father, he was meant to love and protect her.

Hermione woke to her alarm clock telling her it was 7:00 a.m. She groggily pulled herself up off the bed and looked out the window, the rain was still pouring down. _'I can't believe I slept for that long,'_ she thought to herself, wiping her eyes and nose with her sleeve.

Grabbing a towel, she entered the bathroom and showered. She tried to wash the memories from yesterday away but no matter how hard she tried they wouldn't leave her. _ 'Maybe if I immerse myself in a good book or study I'll forget about it, I do need to brush up on my potions and charms.'_

Getting out of the shower and dressed, Hermione listened carefully for her father. She could tell he was in the kitchen by the sound of the refrigerator door opening and closing. The brunette quietly made her way back to her bedroom, not wanting to disturb him or get yelled at and waited until he left for work. She could feel and hear her stomach grumbling as she ate nothing for dinner the night before.

When she was sure she was home alone she went downstairs, had some breakfast and curled up on the lounge with her potions text book. Revising the material, she jumped slightly when the phone rang. She walked over to it and answered it.

"Hello, Granger residence," she spoke clearly into the receiver.

"_Hermione, I need you to go to the attic and find the box of your grandmother's things. She wants me to drop them off after work tonight,"_ her father said to her.

"Okay Dad," she responded, hearing the beeping sound of her father hanging up.

Sighing, Hermione bookmarked the page she was up to and just as she was about to make her way upstairs and to the attic, a soft knocking came from the kitchen window. Going to see what was making the noise, she saw Hedwig there with a letter tied to her leg. Hermione let the owl in and took the letter. The owl hooted at her and she quickly remembered to give it a treat.

Opening the parchment, she realised it was two separate notes on the one page, one from Harry and one from Ron.

_Hermione,_

_I arrived at Ron's this morning, I'm staying at the burrow for the next two weeks and everyone is really nice. I've been practicing quidditch with the boys and will write to you when I can. Enjoy the rest of your holidays. I'll see you at platform 9 ¾ on our first day back at school._

_Harry._

"At least he's having a good time," Hermione said under her breath before continuing on to read Ron's note.

_Hermione,_

_Hope your holidays are fun. Mum said you can come over for a few days if you would like, Ginny needs company apparently. See you at school._

_Ron_

"Sometimes I don't know why I bother with that boy," Hermione said, knowing that he only wanted her over to keep Ginny away from them and help with their homework.

Making her way into the living room, she picked up a piece of paper and a pen and wrote down a quick reply for them, leaving out the part about her family problems. She was surprised that it hadn't been front page news on the Daily Prophet.

_Harry and Ron,_

_Thank you for your letters but I unfortunately won't be able to come over these holidays. I'm spending some time with my father. I hope to see you both on the Hogwarts Express and possibly beforehand at Diagon Alley. _

_Regards, _

_Hermione Granger._

Rolling up the note, she attached it to the owl's leg and sent Hedwig on her way.

Going back to what she was doing before Hedwig arrived, Hermione made her way up to the attic to find her grandmother's box. Entering the attic, she fumbled with the light switch before turning it on. The room was full of boxes of various sizes, dust covering them all. The dark-eyed girl rubbed her nose before sneezing twice. She looked around the room seeing the beams of the house, shelves lined up against the far wall, boxes stacked on top of one another, old toys from when she was a child and many other things which she didn't know about.

"Where to start?" she whispered to herself, sneezing again. "If only I could use magic to clear away the dust," she added, rubbing her nose.

Hermione started by looking at the bigger boxes for one with her grandmother's name on it, she searched for a good twenty minutes and came up empty. Moving onto the smaller boxes, she found it instantly sitting on top of the pile. _'How did I miss this at the beginning?'_ she thought to herself, placing the small box near the entry.

Out of the corner of her eye, something over near her old toys glimmered in the light which filtered through from the small window. Hermione made her way over to it and moved aside a doll pram, her teacher play set and a few large teddy bears before she could see the white and gold box.

'_Mum used to put all of my old school awards, tests, achievement certificates and important documents in here when I was younger. I haven't seen it in almost four years; I never imagined it to be up here. I miss Mum so much,'_ Hermione thought as she sat down and pulled the box to herself.

Rifling through the papers, Hermione remembered all the fond moments in which she got her awards and if she concentrated hard enough, it seemed as though she had only gotten them yesterday. She basked in the smell of the pages of an old, small diary she found. Opening the first page, she saw her mother's name printed neatly on it. She opened it to the first entry and began to read.

_Diary,_

_I really don't know what to do anymore. I just found out that I'm pregnant and I'm scared to tell anyone. I'm not married, I don't have a partner and I barely remember what the man, who I slept with, looked like. All I remember is a dark snake like tattoo on his left forearm and if I think back, I'm sure he had dark hair as well and said he was a teacher. I could be imagining that though, we were both very drunk and in some old pub._

_I have to tell my parents, they are going to be disappointed when they find out, how could I have been so foolish?_

Hermione stared at the entry, her mouth agape and her eyes wide open. She looked at the date on it and realised it was written nine months before she was born. She flicked through the rest of the papers before pulling out her birth certificate which she had never seen before.

"Father's name; unknown," she read, realising that this is probably why her 'father' always was never too fond of her.

She took the small box and hid it inside of her Hogwarts trunk, feeling the shock starting to wear off, she started to feel sad that her mother never told her the truth and that the man she was living with never told her either. She had always considered him her father and never doubted it until she found the diary.

* * *

Hermione waited in the lounge room, the box of her grandmother's belongings next to her as she waited for her father to come home. It didn't take long before she heard the sound of the car pulling into the driveway and him exiting it.

"Hermione, did you get the box I asked you to?" Mr. Granger yelled as he entered the house.

"Yes Dad, it's here in the living room," she replied, hearing the agitation in his voice.

"Good, I'm going to drop this off at your grandmother's house and then I'm going to the pub and my mate's for the weekend," he said, picking up the box.

"What about me?" the girl asked, not used to being home without someone else present.

"What about you, you dumb child? Just don't get into any trouble and don't use any of that pathetic crap you call magic. If you do, there will be hell to pay," he replied, his voice rising with each word.

"I'm not dumb!" Hermione yelled at him, "And magic isn't stupid, you are."

"What did you just say?" he asked her, putting the box down and stalking over to her.

"N... n... nothing," she stuttered, walking backwards.

"You're twelve, you do not backchat to me, someone needs to teach you a lesson or two," he angrily yelled, bringing his hand up.

"You're not my father, you can't hit me!" she yelled back, shocked at what came out of her mouth.

Lowering his hand, Mr. Granger grabbed the box, threatened her and stormed out of the house, slamming the door after himself.

Hermione fell to the floor and cried herself to sleep where she was, wishing that her mum was there with her.

* * *

Making her way to the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione tried not to be seen by the adults around her. _'If I can make it there, Tom might be able to called Professor Dumbledore for me and maybe he'll let me go back to Hogwarts for the remainder of the holidays. I can't stay at home with Dad anymore, I'm scared that he's going to hurt me more than he already has,' _the witch thought as the place came into view.

Entering the building, Hermione made her way over to the bar and it didn't take the barkeep long to notice her.

"What brings you here tonight, Little Miss?" he asked her, noting the worried expression on the girl's face along with her reddened eyes.

"I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore but I don't know how to contact him," she stated, getting directly to the point.

"Come up to my rooms and I'll get him for you," Tom said, trying to make her feel better.

"Thank you, Tom."

Entering his rooms, Hermione was directed to sit at the kitchen table while Tom made his way over to the fireplace and Flooed Dumbledore.

'_I really hope he comes, I don't want to be to be left with Dad anymore. I wonder if he has any idea who my real father is. I really want to meet him but what if I never find him? I just...'_

"Miss. Granger, how can I be of help to you, my dear?" Professor Dumbledore asked, making her lose her train of thought.

"Professor, I was just wondering if I could please stay at Hogwarts for the remainder of the holidays."

"Why would you want to stay there, Miss. Granger?" Dumbledore asked, raising his eyebrow.

"I haven't had the best holidays and I just need somewhere else to go so my mind doesn't keep going back to a certain event. I also found something in one of my mum's diaries and I need help with it," Hermione said, reaching into her coat's inner pocket and pulling out the small diary. She opened it to the first entry and handed it to the elderly wizard.

Watching her professor read the entry, she studied his face for any hints that he might know who her father is.

"Interesting, truly interesting Miss. Granger," Dumbledore said, looking towards the child.

"Do you have any idea who he might be, Sir?" Hermione asked, hoping that he knew. She couldn't tell anything from his facial expressions as he had a wonderful poker face.

"I might have an inkling of his identity but I would like to confirm it first. Come, we'll go to Hogwarts and I'll send you back home with one of the professors who remained behind to collect your belongings," Dumbledore replied, showing Hermione over to the fireplace.

* * *

Arriving at Hogwarts, Dumbledore led Hermione through the empty corridors of the school.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking: why are we going to the hospital wing?"

"I would just like Madam Pomfrey to have a look at you dear," Dumbledore replied, opening the door up for her. "Poppy, can you please take a look at Hermione and make sure she's alright while I go talk to one of our professors?"

"Of course, sit on the bed please Miss. Granger," Poppy Pomfrey directed, before being led into her office by Dumbledore.

Once inside of the office, Poppy turned to face Dumbledore.

"Is there anything I should know, Albus?" Poppy inquired, wondering what the wizard wasn't telling her.

"Miss. Granger showed me a diary entry of her mothers. Her father who she lives with isn't biologically related to her. The entry said her real father had the dark mark on his left forearm and was said to be a teacher with dark hair. I can only think of one person who fits that description in Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, looking amused as he watched the display of emotions cross the woman's face.

"Severus," she mumbled, looking at Hermione through the glass window. "She looks nothing like him."

"I know, that's why I'm about to go visit Severus and see if he will come up here and do the test. It's best knowing the truth, for everyone," Dumbledore said. He opened the door and exited the office, smiling at Hermione before he left the hospital wing and headed down to the dungeons.

Knocking on Severus' door, he was greeted by the thirty-two year old professor.

"Severus my boy, mind if we have a little chat?" Dumbledore happily asked, smiling at the other wizard.

"Of course, come in," Snape said, standing aside to let the man in.

Taking a seat on the couch, Dumbledore turned to Snape and got down to business.

"Not long ago I was flooed by Tom at the Leaky Cauldron; Miss. Granger was with him and she is now here at Hogwarts. She had her mother's diary with her and showed me a particular entry in it. It seems as though Mr. Granger isn't her biological father. The entry said that her father had the dark mark and was a teacher," Dumbledore explained, letting his words sink in.

"I think we need to do a test," Severus replied after a few minutes. "I remember meeting a muggle born one night long ago but I can't remember what happened, I didn't think it went that far," Snape said getting up from the lounge.

"We will never know until we get that test done," Dumbledore said, getting up and leaving the room with the potions master following him.

* * *

"You seem perfectly healthy to me, Hermione but you could do with eating a little more," Poppy said as she checked over her.

"I'll try to," she responded, knowing she had lost a little bit of weight since her mother was killed.

Sitting down next to the young witch, Poppy placed her arm around Hermione's shoulders before asking her next question. "I heard about your mother, dear. How are you coping with that?" she softly asked, knowing it was a hard topic for some to talk about.

"I'm doing okay, I just want my mum back," she quietly said before the tears started once more.

"I'm sure you'll be okay one day, dear," Poppy replied, letting the child cry.

The door to the hospital wing opened and Dumbledore and Snape entered the room and went over to the child.

Severus looked at the crying Gryffindor and softened his facial expression. He didn't want anyone to know but he really did have a heart and a crying child was something he hated to see, no matter what house they were in or what their blood status was.

"Professors," Hermione said, looking up and noticing the two wizards in the room.

"Miss. Granger, in regards to your mother's diary entry would you mind if we check if Professor Snape is a possible candidate? He is the only one I can think of who matches the description given," Dumbledore asked, looking between the teacher and student.

Hermione was shocked at the possibility of Professor Snape being her father; she didn't think that he would be the man who fathered her; it was not possible in her eyes. "How do we find out?" she asked, not knowing what else to say.

"It's rather simple actually," Madam Pomfrey explained, "You both hold hands and I will cast a spell. A silver chain from both of you will appear and meet up in the middle, if it's negative it will turn red but if it's positive, it will be pink and blue revealing the father-daughter relationship."

Hermione wiped the stray tears from her eyes with her sleeve before joining hands with Professor Snape. She was surprised at how soft and warm they were. The brunette was not expecting that from the bat of the dungeons.

Hermione and Severus watched as Poppy cast the spell. The silver chains from both of them slowly circled around both of their hands and met up in the middle. They watched, wide eyed, as the chain from Hermione started to turn pink and the one from Severus went blue.

The chain vanished and both were stunned.

"Severus, congratulations, it's a girl," Dumbledore smiled patting the man on the back as Hermione broke out in a small giggle at his words.

To be continued... if you would like.

* * *

Please leave a review, I would like to know what you guys think of this fic and if I should continue it or not.

Thanks :)


	2. Chapter 2

"A girl, yes," Severus Snape said sitting down on the chair in the hospital wing. His mind raced as he tried to wrap his head around having a daughter and that daughter being Hermione Granger of all people.

"Hermione, how are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked the girl, wondering how she was taking the news.

"I don't know how I'm feeling, Sir. At first I thought this was some kind of practical joke because Professor Snape and myself look nothing alike and then when I saw his reaction to it, I knew it wasn't; I don't know what to feel," Hermione said, her brain processing a million emotions at once which she couldn't make sense of.

"Well, you have your father's eyes," Dumbledore noted, pulling a small box out of his robe's pocket. "Lemon drop?" he offered.

All three declined as Hermione studied Snape. _'Professor Dumbledore is right, I do have his eyes, I've never noticed before. I can clearly see it now with the adequate lighting in here unlike in the dungeons. I know the spell said he was my father but I just can't think as to why I never made the connection before. Maybe it was because I was spending so much of my time studying and then the rest of it being either annoyed or insulted by Harry and Ron. I'm still shocked, Professor Snape, my dad! I don't know whether I should laugh, cry or be happy. This is all too new.'_

"Miss. Granger, did you hear me?" Snape said to her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry Professor, I was kind of lost in my own thoughts," Hermione replied, looking into his eyes and then to the floor.

"I said that I am to accompany you back to your house so you can collect your trunk and belongings for school," Snape told her; slowly getting over the shock of finding out that he has a daughter.

"Okay," Hermione replied, hoping that Mr. Granger wasn't there. "How are we going to get back?"

"We'll walk to Hogsmeade and from there I'll apparate us to your house so you can get your belongings," Snape answered. "Come," he added after a few seconds in which he had a silent conversation with Dumbledore.

Walking side by side, Hermione had a thousand questions running through her mind but she was too scared to ask them_. 'I want to know so much but I don't think he will answer me. The way he treated me last year makes me think he hates me. Well, hate is such a strong word; he probably dislikes me at best.'_

"Miss. Granger, I can assure you that I'm just as shocked as you are about this whole situation," Snape told her as he watched the girl walk with him.

"I know, Professor. I still don't really know what to do or how to react but I will figure something out eventually. I really don't like not knowing this... anything," Hermione replied, moving her hands as she said the last sentence.

"I always knew you were a little know-it-all," Snape smirked, knowing he didn't like not knowing anything either.

Hermione stopped walking and looked up at her teacher/father, looking shocked before she spoke, "Did you just joke?" she asked, surprise hitting her for the third time that day.

"I may have," he replied.

Entering Hogsmeade, they stopped at a secluded spot away from the other people who were there.

"Miss. Granger, take hold of my hand and I will now apparate us. I will warn you though, the first time apparating is not very pleasant, one usually ends up throwing up," he explained, holding out his hand for the young witch to take.

* * *

Hermione almost fell to the ground, being caught by Snape at the last moment as she willed herself not to be sick.

"Are you okay, Miss. Granger?" he asked, worry slightly evident in his voice.

"I'm fine," she replied, standing up straight.

"Would you like to lead the way to your house then?" Snape asked, holding his arm out in front of him, giving her the clue to start walking.

"Of course," Hermione said, walking out of the alleyway and up the street to her residence.

Her house came into view and Hermione noticed her father's car parked in the driveway and the front door slightly open.

"Is the door usually open like that?" Snape queried, noticing too.

"No. My dad was dropping off boxes to my grandmother's house, maybe he forgot one," she said, thinking of the reasons of why it was open.

Entering the house, Hermione saw her father place another box on the table. Snape followed her in and pushed the door closed.

"And where exactly were you, and who is he?" Mr. Granger asked, sneering as her noticed the tall wizard.

"I was at school and this is Professor Snape," Hermione coolly replied.

"You left the house without asking?" Mr. Granger asked, not caring who saw him raise his voice.

"If I clearly remember, you said you weren't going to be here anyway," Hermione stated, standing up to the man.

"Shut your mouth you stupid child, I expect dinner to be cooked in one hour, get moving," he yelled at her.

Snape watched Mr. Granger and wanted nothing more than to hex him. Hearing the man call Hermione a stupid child was the last straw for him.

"I would watch who you call stupid," he said, his voice low as he glared at the man.

"I'm her father, I can call her whatever I want and do whatever I want to her," Mr. Granger yelled, his facing turning red as he grabbed Hermione and tried to drag her into the kitchen.

"You will get your hands off of her right this instant before I removed them for you," Snape slowly said, intimidating the man and he moved Hermione behind him.

"I'm calling the police, who do you think you are telling me what to do in my own house?" Mr. Granger yelled.

"I'm positive that the law enforcement will deem you unfit as a parent and if I'm not mistaken, you actually have no legal status as Miss. Granger's guardian as you're not her biological father whereas I am," Snape smirked, watching the other man.

"You're a piece of work, Hermione, especially for bringing him here," Mr. Granger seethed, grabbing the box and leaving.

Turning around, Snape faced Hermione and saw the unshed tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm fine," she replied, taking comfort in the small gesture. "I'm going to go pack my trunk now," she added walking to her room.

Snape watched her close the door behind her as he started to pace around the room. _'That man does not deserve to be anyone's father. If only I hexed him when I had the chance to; would have put him in his place. Why am I feeling so protective of the little Gryffindor know-it-all? These other feelings are unknown to me as well; I'll see Poppy when we get back, maybe I'm coming down with something. I really can't believe she's my daughter. She's the only student to ever match my marks at Hogwarts; she has to get it from someone, obviously not her mother. _

_I don't know the first thing about being a parent, I would rather raise her myself than allow her to come back to live with that sorry excuse for a man. When we get back, I'll have a talk with her and see what she wants to do,'_ Snape thought as he finally sat down and waited.

* * *

Walking up to Dumbledore's office, Severus Snape was glad that school was still on break. He knocked on the door twice and entered.

"Severus, what do I owe this pleasure to?" Dumbledore asked as he looked at the younger man who seemed a bit dishevelled.

"When I went with Miss. Granger to collect her belongings the man who she thought was her father was there and not only did he verbally abuse her, he grabbed her and if I wasn't there he may have done more. I don't like the man and Miss. Granger seemed scared of him," Snape said before taking a seat.

"I always thought her parent's treated her well. Maybe it changed after her mother passed away. Someone will have to talk to her about that. How are you enjoying parenthood, Severus?"

"I have had nothing to enjoy of it as yet. I will say though, I'm now feeling more protective of Miss. Granger and it feels odd," he admitted, needing to talk with someone.

"Severus, she's your daughter, I know it's a lot to take in but how about calling her by her name, Hermione," Albus smiled.

"Hermione," Snape repeated, getting a feel for speaking the name.

"With her situation at the present moment, what would you like to do?" Albus asked, getting down to business.

"I would like to care for her. I don't want her near that man. She can stay with me tonight and I'll have a talk with her soon and see what she wants."

"That's a very good idea. She can stay with you tonight and I can see that you're warming up to being a father already. You never would have cared what any student or child wanted before and now here you are willing to talk about it with one. I think you'll make a great father, _Daddy_," Albus smiled, his eyes gleaming as he watched Snape shift in his seat.

"Very funny old man," he retorted, getting up and leaving the office.

* * *

Snape walked into the hospital wing where Hermione was. He watched as she talked to Madam Pomfrey about the uses of certain potions.

"Hello Severus," Madam Pomfrey greeted him.

"Poppy," he said, nodding his head.

"What did Professor Dumbledore say when you saw him?" Hermione asked, turning around to look at her father.

"He said that you have to stay with me tonight and tomorrow we'll all talk about it. Come with me, we better get going," Snape said, walking out of the hospital wing, Hermione following him.

Walking down to the dungeons, more questions formed in Hermione's mind and she wanted to ask them but would wait until they got to his chambers. Entering through his office, Snape pulled out his wand and lowered the wards. A door appeared and they entered.

"These are my chambers where you will be staying tonight. This is the living room; over there is the kitchen, the hallway up the back leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. Your bedroom is on the left-hand side, mine is on the right. The door at the very end of the hallway is the bathroom. That one door directly to your left-hand side leads to my personal potions lab, you are not to go in there unless strictly told too. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Hermione replied.

Looking around the room, Hermione was thrilled to see the tightly packed bookshelves lining the walls; she couldn't wait to be able to read them. She watched as her dark-haired father made his way over to the couch and sat down. She walked over to it and sat down at the other end.

"Professor, would it be alright to ask you something?" Hermione asked, biting her lower lip.

"Of course it is."

"Would I please be able to read the books on the bookshelf?"

Snape slightly chuckled, startling the child before he spoke. "Of course you can, just don't read the ones on the top shelf; they aren't to even be touched."

"Okay."

"Have you got any more questions, Hermione?" he asked, using her name.

"Did you just call me Hermione?" she asked in return, not believing that he had used her name.

"Well, it is your name, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded her head before thinking of her next question. "Did you ever want children?"

"To be honest, children were something I never saw myself having. It would have been too dangerous for me and I find it difficult dealing with teenagers, I don't know how I would have handled a toddler. But now that I know I have been given the chance to be a father, I would like to explore it if that's alright with you," he honestly replied.

"I would really like that too," Hermione smiled. "I don't look anything like you, I didn't exactly look like my mum either..." she added a few minutes later, trailing off and leaving her sentence not finished.

"You could have a concealment charm placed on you but I doubt a muggle could pull one off. I can check to see if there is one on you if you would like?"

"I would just like to know," Hermione said as Snape pulled out his wand and moved it in front of her, mumbling something under his breath.

After a few minutes, Snape spoke, "I can say that with one hundred percent certainty, that there is no charm placed on you."

"That's a relief," Hermione said, releasing the breath she didn't realise she was holding. "Am I going to have to change my name?" she asked as another question popped into her head.

"Not if you don't want to, the choice is yours, I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to," he replied.

"Okay, um, I think I'm out of questions for now, my brain hurts from processing all of this," Hermione said, rubbing her head.

"Would you like a potion to make it stop hurting?" Snape asked, slightly worried.

"It's okay, it'll disappear soon, I may just go lay down for a bit," Hermione said, getting up off the lounge and making her way to her bedroom.

Opening the door, she looked around the room in awe. The walls were a light green with a white ceiling, the floorboards had been polished and a fluffy white rug sat in the middle of the room. The bed was in the corner of the room with a green, pink and white frangipani designed quilt. Along the rest of the walls sat a desk and two bookshelves. Her trunk sat at the foot of her bed.

Making her way over to the bed, she pulled the covers down and slid under them, pulling them up as she got comfortable. Within ten minutes the brunette was fast asleep.

'_The door softly opened as Hermione ran into her living room, there were a group of men, all wearing skull masks. They had they wands drawn, pointing to something which was in between them. She could see the different colours coming from the tips of their wands, hitting something, no, someone as the person screamed in pain._

_Hermione tried to push past the men; they wouldn't budge, not even noticing her as she tried to shove them aside. "Let me through," she yelled, panic evident in her voice only having the men laugh in return and set off another round of spells._

_She tried to squeeze past the two smaller men; she was almost at the person screaming...'_

Hermione bolted upright in bed, wiping the layer of sweat off her forehead as her eyes met those of Snape's.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, worry on his face. "You were talking in your sleep."

Hermione sat there and took a few calming breaths before drawing her knee's up and responding. "I had a nightmare, it felt so real," she said, taking a few more breaths.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Snape asked, watching the girl as she tried to compose herself. He felt worried, his inner self was conflicted. One part of him wanted to pull out his intimidating teacher act, another part wanted to logically explain everything and the last part, the softest of them all, wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay and chase her fears away. _'Where the hell did that come from?'_ he thought, waiting for a response from Hermione.

"I ran into my house and a bunch of men where there wearing masks. They were casting spells at someone and evilly laughing. The person was screaming and I tried to get past them and when I was almost there, I woke up," she explained.

"It was only a nightmare, Hermione, if you want, I can brew some dreamless sleep potion later," he said, not knowing how to comfort a twelve-year-old.

"Can I help?" she asked, looking up at him, pouting slightly.

'_It hasn't even been twenty-four hours yet and she's already got me wanting to say yes, what is happening to me? I'm not going soft, am I?' _he thought before answering. "You may, this once," he finally said.

Hermione got up out of the bed and walked into the living room, she sat down on the couch and was handed a glass of water from Snape. She looked up at him and smiled as she accepted it.

"Do you know how to brew this potion?" he asked, curious to know if she could.

"I don't know if I can, Sir. I've quickly read about it but I would like to read it again beforehand."

"There is a book on the third shelf of the first bookcase, it's the first book and it has the most detailed explanation of the potion you will find. It's getting late so I suggest that we make it soon," Snape said, picking up the book from the table which he was reading earlier.

Hermione got up and pulled the potions book from the shelf. She spent a good forty minutes reading it and asking questions about some of the ingredients and how they reacted together. She wanted to know the potion before brewing it so she didn't have to keep referring back to the book.

When she finally felt she ready to be able to brew the potion without any mistakes she put the book back on the shelf and looked at Snape expectantly.

"Are you now prepared to help me make the potion?" he asked, impressed with how much study she had just done.

"I am. I now feel confident enough with knowing the directions to assist with its making," Hermione said.

Snape placed his bookmark in his book, placing it on the table before he got up and headed to his private lab, Hermione following him.

To be continued... please review.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, it's greatly appreciated. I will most likely be updating the story once a week and if you would like to see anything in it, please say so and I will try my best to include it :)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers, your reviews keep my writing this story, so please review. I also had a little bit of writers block while writing this chapter; sorry it isn't as long as my other chapters and probably not my best but I think it turned out okay :)

* * *

Sitting up in her bed, Hermione rubbed her eyes, removing the sleep from them as she decided whether or not to get out of bed or go back to sleep. Lying back down, she closed her eyes. _'I know I'm going to have to get up sooner or later and face the day but at times like these, all I want to do is sleep. I feel so worn out and I just wish that everything would stop for a minute so I can gather myself and not feel pulled down by the weight of everything going on around me. I have about two weeks to get myself together before school starts. I might as well get up and talk with my fath... Professor Snape about it all,'_ Hermione thought to herself, getting up.

Walking into the living room, Snape was sitting on the couch holding a cup of tea while he read the Daily Prophet.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said, noticing her as she entered the room.

"Morning," she mumbled in reply, flopping down on the couch.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I just want to go back to sleep though," she yawned.

"How many hours of sleep did you get?"

"Seven."

"Are you not feeling well?" Snape asked, slightly worried.

"I'm fine; I just have a lot on my mind."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing really, just stupid."

"If it's on your mind, it's not stupid. I may be the bat of the dungeons with an ice cold heart but I do care when something is troubling a student. I especially care when something is troubling my daughter," Snape said, squeezing the brunette's shoulder.

Hermione smiled at him, touched by what he said. "It's just that there is so much going on at the moment, I don't really know how to make heads or tails of it," she said, picking at the fluff on her pyjama bottoms.

"What is troubling you the most out of everything?" Snape asked her, hoping to get her to talk to him.

"This situation at the moment; I don't know what's going on with either you or my other dad or what's going to happen. I don't like not knowing," Hermione replied.

"Well, since you're only twelve, one of us will be getting custody; either Mr. Granger or myself. Hermione, who would you like to live with?"

"You," Hermione quickly said. "I don't want to live with that man," she added.

"Okay," Snape replied, happy that she chose him, but not showing it. "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you want to live with Mr. Granger? Was he acting like he is now before your mum passed away?"

"He has always been distant and seems like he doesn't really care about me but I never knew why. I think he's always known that I wasn't his daughter. Ever since mum died he has changed so much. He just constantly yells at me now, he threatens me and blames me for everything, I don't like it," Hermione said, almost whispering at the end as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Snape could feel the pain in his heart as he watched the tear roll down her cheek followed by a few more. "Don't cry Hermione," he softly said, putting his hand on her shoulder, not really knowing how to comfort a crying child.

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled softly. She knew he was trying and she really appreciated it. "I'm going to go shower," she said, getting up and leaving the room.

* * *

Feeling refreshed, Hermione went back into the living room and sat down next to Snape.

"Feeling any better?" he asked, looking up from his book.

"I am," she smiled at him. "Sir, how did you and my mum meet up?" Hermione asked. She had been curious about it since her mother's vague entry in her journal.

Putting down his book, he looked at the girl. "Well, we met about forty weeks before you were born. It was in a small muggle pub. I was about eighteen years old and I think your mother was slightly older, in her early twenties if I remember correctly. I was there to have a drink and think about what I wanted to do. Before I knew it, my glass was empty and the barkeep put another drink in front of me, telling me it was from a woman who he pointed to. She came over to me and sat down next to me and introduced herself, it was your mother. She began to talk to me and soon enough I started to respond to her. She was talking about how she didn't know if she wanted to still be a dentist or study something else instead. We got drinking and the next thing I know, I was waking up in a park with a massive hangover," Snape explained, trying his best to remember that night.

"I don't think I could ever picture Mum in a pub, especially Mum in a pub and drinking," Hermione giggled.

"If your mum wanted to, she probably would have out-drunk everyone in the pub that night," Snape replied.

"Growing up, she never touched alcohol. It's a little weird hearing that she was a good drinker," Hermione said, happy to learn a little bit more about her mother, no matter what it was.

"Is there anything else you would like to know?" Snape asked, looking at the child.

"Do you have a middle name?" she asked, the thought randomly coming to her.

"I do, it's Tobias, my father's name," he replied.

A knock on the door interrupted them as Snape got up and answered it.

"Hello Severus," Professor McGonagall greeted him, smiling at the younger wizard.

"Minerva, please come in," Snape said, moving aside and letting the witch enter.

"Hello Hermione, how are you doing?" McGonagall asked, sitting down in the seat next to the couch.

"I'm doing okay," she said, looking at her head of house.

Snape sat down next to Hermione and waited for Minerva McGonagall to speak.

"I'm here to deliver news from Professor Dumbledore, he would have come himself but he's busy. The Ministry of Magic is aware that Miss. Granger is your daughter Severus and they would like you to either take full custody of her or hand her over to them to be placed in a suitable home," McGonagall said, noting the look of shock on Hermione's face.

"I don't want the Ministry to have me," Hermione said, getting worked up.

"They won't, Hermione. We'll go visit them first thing in the morning and get it sorted out. Okay?" Snape said, hoping to calm her down.

"Okay," Hermione replied, relief evident on her face.

"Tomorrow you will both need to head off to the Ministry and they will re-register your birth, this time adding in your father's name and quite possibly changing your surname name. It will either be changed to your father's or your mother's maiden name. Ninety-nine percent of the time they will change it to the father's surname name," McGonagall informed them.

"Hermione Snape; doesn't sound that bad," Hermione said, testing the name.

"I rather like it," Snape added.

"A Snape as a Gryffindor, who would have thought," McGonagall joked, receiving a glare from Severus which she shrugged off.

"I wonder how everyone will react when they find out," Hermione said, feeling a little nervous.

"I think that they will all be shocked and will need time to take it in but after the shock has worn off, they'll be fine. You might want to send an owl to misters Potter and Weasley telling them first," McGonagall answered her, getting up from the seat. "I best be going now, I have a lot to do," she added, leaving the room.

* * *

Hermione couldn't concentrate on the book she was reading as her thoughts kept on drifting off to Professor Snape. _'I really don't know what to call him anymore; Professor Snape sounds too formal, Severus would be too awkward as he's my father and Dad sounds a bit odd at the moment but maybe one day. It confuses me on what to call him, I almost let Father slip this morning and it seemed okay, I think, but I don't know. I think I'll just go with 'Sir' as it's respectful and doesn't sound too formal. I also wish I could get out of this room and go for a walk around town, I need something to do,'_ she thought to herself before speaking.

"Sir, would it be okay if I left the grounds for a few hours?" Hermione asked Snape, hoping he would say yes.

"Hermione, it's getting late..."

"... It's only three in the afternoon..."

"... It's still late. I don't want you out on the streets in case something happens. We have no idea if any Death Eaters are after you or not. It's just not safe," Snape explained.

"I'm responsible though, I'm sure I could manage," she pleaded, standing up.

"You're underage and not allowed to use magic out of school. If some Death Eaters come after you, there is nothing you can do to fend them off. It's not safe and my answer is final," Snape said, feeling frustrated for the first time since learning about his new found role as a father.

"But..."

"... No buts, Hermione," he snapped, picking up his book once more.

Hermione flopped down next to him and rested her legs over the arm rest of the chair. Lying on her back, her head was almost touching Snape. She looked up and could see him reading the book.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"A potions journal," he said, not looking at her.

Hermione cracked her fingers and sighed, she looked up and her eyes met those of her father's.

"Is anything bothering you?" he asked, knowing what children did to get attention.

"If I can't go for a walk by myself, come with me?" she asked, hoping he would.

"Hermione..."

"Please?" she asked, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

"Fine," he said, giving in.

"Yay, I'll go get dressed. You might want to change into some muggle clothes too," she replied, running to her bedroom.

* * *

Walking through London, both Hermione and Snape wore jeans, a plain shirt and a jacket. Snape kept on looking around for any signs of danger as Hermione enjoyed the afternoon sun.

"I think it's a lovely day today," Hermione said, feeling the sunshine on her face.

"It's windy," Snape replied, zipping up his jacket.

"It might be a little windy but the day is lovely. The sun is out and it isn't as cold as it usually is," Hermione said, walking beside him.

"We'll see," he replied, looking behind them.

They walked for another twenty minutes, enjoying the day. The sun had started to set and Snape was more on edge. He discreetly kept checking around them for possible signs of danger.

He stepped into an alleyway and pulled Hermione with him. The brunette went to talk but was silenced before she could say anything. He gently took Hermione by the arm and apparated them to another part of London.

"There were two men following us, they were walking about a hundred metres behind us for the last ten minutes. I recognised one of them as a Death Eater. We have to be careful," Snape said, noticing that Hermione didn't look as though she was going to throw up this time.

"I didn't even notice," she replied, taking a deep breath in. "Where are we?" she added.

"We're on Buckley close. It's a dead end street close to Camberwell Cemetery," he stated.

Hermione paled and leant up against a pole for support. This was the cemetery her mother was buried at.

"Are you okay?" Snape asked with concern in his voice.

"My mum is buried in that cemetery," she whispered, not sure what to do.

"It's okay, Hermione," Snape said, standing in front of the girl and putting his hand on her shoulder.

Hermione started to walk towards the end of the road and to the cemetery. Severus walked beside Hermione not knowing what she was doing. He felt a small hand slip into his and he held it tight, supporting her as she made her way to the gates and opened them.

She led them through the rows of headstones and stopped when she came to the row her mother was buried in. She looked up at Snape, her eyes red with unshed tears, as she let go of his hand and walked towards her mother's grave.

She knelt down in front of the headstone and the tears fell as she read the first few lines of the headstone in her mind, _'In loving memory of Jane Elizabeth Granger, beloved wife and mother. Forever in our hearts.'_

"I miss you so much, I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered, letting the pain flow out. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there crying until she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up and realised it was dark and saw her father standing there with a concerned look on his face.

Hermione stood up on shaky legs and the tears starting to slip down her cheeks once more. She wrapped her arms around Snape's waist and rested her head on his chest, feeling safe and noticing how cold she was.

Snape had no idea what to do so he held her and let the last of her tears fall. He rubbed small circles on her back to help calm her down and warm up. He heard her sniffle and he looked down to see her rubbing her eyes, looking exhausted.

He pulled a small packet of tissues out of his pocket and handed her one. Hermione dried her eyes and blew her nose before putting it in her pocket.

"Are you feeling better?" Snape asked her, still holding onto her.

"I am, I think I needed that," she responded, yawning afterwards. "I'm tired," she added, leaning against his chest once more.

"Do you want to leave now?" he asked her, waiting for her to be ready.

"Yeah," she said, rubbing her eyes but not moving.

"We'll leave the cemetery and then I'll apparate us to outside of the castle and we can go back home," Snape said, Hermione still resting against his chest. "Do you think you can walk?" he asked.

"Mhm, just give me a minute, I'm tired," she replied, basking in his warm and the sense of security she felt.

Snape waited, giving her minute and when he looked down to see if she was ready to leave, she was almost asleep. Snape picked her up and her arms snaked around his neck as he carefully carried her out of the cemetery and back to their home.

To be continued... please comment.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione sat at the desk in her bedroom, her transfiguration book open in front of her, but just couldn't concentrate on the text she was reading. Her thoughts kept on going back to last night and what happened at the cemetery. After crying out all the emotion and hurt she felt at her mother's grave, she now felt a small sense of relief starting to settle upon her. Remembering her mother, she could feel the pain of losing her but then happy memories started to surface and a smile graced her face.

She tried to clear her mind while she walked from her bedroom to the kitchen. She filled a glass with water and as she shut the tap off she heard the door open. She wasn't expecting anyone but turned toward the sound and smiled when she saw her father and Professor McGonagall enter.

"Hello Hermione, how are you feeling dear?" McGonagall asked, taking a seat on the couch.

"Hello Professor, I'm good, thank you for asking," Hermione replied, looking to her father with a curious expression, wondering why her head-of-house was in their chambers.

"Hermione, I need to go out again for a few hours and Professor McGonagall has offered to keep you company. She is going to go visit Mrs. Weasley and you're more than welcome to go with her," Snape told her, watching the emotion change on his daughter's face.

"Okay, I would like to go see my friends even if it's for a few minutes and if you don't mind me asking, where are you off to?" Hermione asked, drinking the last of her water and returning the cup to the sink as she waited for a response.

"I'll be heading to the Ministry of Magic to make us an appointment at the earliest time available. I've got to head off now and will be back in a few or so hours," Snape said, leaving the room with his robes billowing behind him.

"Hermione, come sit down, please," McGonagall said, patting the seat next to her.

Walking over to the older woman, she sat down next to the professor not knowing what to expect.

"How are you really doing, dear?" McGonagall asked, concern etched into her aging face.

"I'm doing better than what I thought I would; I really miss Mum but it's good having Da... Professor Snape around; it's really helping. I never knew that he could be so nice and understanding, let alone be a good parent but I have learnt so much in the last few days and for that I'm thankful," she honestly responded, surprised by her own words.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad Severus has stepped up and accepted you as his, it gives him something to be proud of and he's very proud of you," McGonagall said, watching the smile on the young child's face.

"I'm glad too. He's nothing like you think he is once you get to see the real him instead of the bat of the dungeons," Hermione said, settling into the back of the couch.

"Very few people have that privilege and those who do are very fortunate. Also, is there anything you want to do in particular or do you want to come with me to visit Mrs. Weasley? I don't want to keep her waiting," McGonagall asked, not sure of what else to say.

"I'd like to go visit them," Hermione replied, knowing that her friends were there.

* * *

After spending almost two hours playing card games and chess while the adults talked, Hermione, Ron and Harry entered the kitchen so Ron could make himself a sandwich.

"So, how has your holiday been?" Ron asked Hermione, taking a bite out of his chicken sandwich as they left the kitchen and entered the lounge room.

"It could be a lot better but that's why I came here with Professor McGonagall, to tell you both why," Hermione replied, sitting down on the couch as Harry and Ron sat across from her.

"What's going on?" Harry skeptically asked, rubbing the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

"What I'm about to tell you, no one else is allowed to know, especially no one at school," Hermione said, almost pleaded, as she took a deep breath in, composing herself.

"Promise," Harry and Ron agreed looking at each other.

"Please don't be mad about what I'm going to tell you or interrupt, it will be a lot easier for me to say it in one go. When we got off the train from Hogwarts, my dad picked me up and when we were about two streets away from our house, we saw the dark mark in the sky. We rushed home and the ministry was there. My mother was killed by Death Eaters. I spent the next few weeks with my dad and then I ventured into the attic. I found my mum's diary and it said my dad wasn't my real dad. I went to the Leaky Cauldron and Tom got Professor Dumbledore for me.

I went back to Hogwarts with him and showed him the diary entry about my real dad. Some tests were done and it seems that Professor Snape is really my dad," Hermione said, taking a deep breath in and holding it as she played with a loose thread on her shirt.

Hermione watched as Ron went wide-eyed and almost choked on his sandwich, coughing slightly to clear his airway. The expression coming from Harry was unreadable to Hermione. She slowly released the breath she was holding and started to chew on her lip, waiting for Harry's reaction.

"How is that possible? You look nothing like him!" Harry angrily spoke as he stood up.

"It's possible because it is," Hermione calmly said. "I can't help who my parents are, I had no say in the matter," she continued, keeping her cool.

Harry heavily sat back down next to Ron and looked Hermione in the eye before speaking again, "I don't like Snape, I never have but you are my friend so I'll try to bite my tongue while you're around. It's the best I can do," he finished, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Okay," Hermione responded, expecting more of a volatile reaction from the dark-haired boy. "Ron?" she inquired, noticing the red-head was looking like a fish, constantly opening and closing his mouth.

"Blimey," Ron responded, closing his mouth and going back to his sandwich.

* * *

"How did Mr.'s Weasley and Potter take the news?" McGonagall asked as they walked through Hogsmeade, on their way back to Hogwarts.

"I'm not really sure how to interpret how it went. I was expecting something more from them both, like Harry, I thought he would have started yelling and done something completely irrational and Ron, I expected more from him too," Hermione said, still not knowing how to take her friends' reactions to her news.

"Don't worry about it then, dear, be grateful that they didn't do that," McGonagall responded, placing her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "It's starting to get a bit chilly, don't you think?" McGonagall added, shivering as a gust of wind blew around them.

"It is," Hermione responded, pulling her jacket tighter and zipping it up. "I wonder if Dad is back yet?" she wondered aloud.

McGonagall smiled at the young Gryffindor and let out a soft chuckle.

"What?" Hermione questioned, looking up at the older witch.

"I've never heard you call Severus 'Dad' before, I bet he will like it though," McGonagall said, smiling at Hermione.

"Oh wow, I guess I just did. I've almost let 'Dad' slip out a few times but I stop myself just before it happens," she responded, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Well, Severus is your father. If you want to call him 'Dad' I'm sure he wouldn't mind," McGonagall said, entering the grounds of Hogwarts.

* * *

Looking through the books on her father's bookcase, Hermione found she wasn't really in the mood to read. Sighing, she moved over to the couch and lay on her back. Looking at the ceiling, her thoughts just drifted, focusing on nothing in particular. The sound of the door opening brought her out of the trance she was in and she smiled when she saw Snape enter their chambers.

"How was your day?" Snape asked Hermione as he went and sat down in the armchair.

"It was okay, I told Harry and Ron and they were reasonably calm about it considering everything," she replied, sitting up.

"Harry Potter acting reasonable, I wish I was there to see that," Snape said, not able to imagine such a thing.

"He's not that bad once you get to know him," Hermione replied, thinking of the black-haired boy. "How was your day?" she asked, shifting the topic of conversation.

"As you know I had to go see the Ministry of Magic and we have an appointment with them in four days. After the meeting I would suggest we go shopping for the things you'll need for school this year and then we can do something you want, is that acceptable?" Snape informed her.

"That's fine," Hermione replied, stifling a yawn. "I might go lay down for an hour or two, I'm feeling tired all of a sudden."

"Okay, I'll wake you fifteen minutes before dinner is served in the great hall," Snape commented, watching Hermione stand up.

Walking over to Snape, Hermione gave him a brief hug, "That'll be great, thanks Dad," she said, walking to her bedroom and closing the door.

Snape sat there in stunned silence, _'She just called me Dad,'_ he thought with a small smile on his face.

tbc...

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took so long to write, my muse ran away and it's only one chapter from being complete. I've literally ran out of ideas so if you would like to see anything in the last chapter, please, please, please tell me. It took me two months to get out a little over 1,500 words :/ Also, thank you to Datsme for helping me with ideas and proof reading. And, a big thank you to all of those who have commented :3


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